This I Believe

I believe in the spirituality of a power greater than myself. My faith hasn’t been influenced by anyone or anything, but based upon the things I’ve seen and been through.

I believe that we are all given free will and that miracles happen. I believe all people can try to take control over their lives and no one should try to take that away from them.

The time I went to Camp Recovery Center is when I came to believe that. Camp Recovery Center was a place of recovery over drugs and alcohol. Even though I wasn’t into any hard drugs and hadn’t hit my bottom yet, it was a time where I lost hope and things were getting even worse.

This was a place where I gained confidence and hope into my life. Where we were taught that you are given a choice to make the right or wrong decision. That’s how I came to believe free will. That, no one is here to punish you, but someone is here to support whatever your decision is so you can ever be valued for a good one or learn your lesson from a bad one. That’s where I came to believe in a higher power. Realizing, that I did not make all of this around me and man certainly didn’t either. I never have believed in a “God,” not even a higher power. After that experience though, I started seeing that everything around me is greater, such as, the ocean and the universe. It gave me some security knowing that I had someone or something looking after me, supporting me each step I took. Even if bad things happen, it is a way of life and I would have to face the reality in front of me.

I believe that miracles also happen everyday. People may not realize it, but even the smallest things are miracles. Such as, a teenager saying “no” to drugs, a stay at home Mom having enough time to take her children to soccer; a teenager wanting an education instead of worrying about their popularity status. Life may be full of tragedies and pain, even I have to say to myself, it will make me stronger to stand up and just face it. I’ve been through things that I’m surprised I’m still even sane. Being depressed all the time never gets a person anywhere and these new beliefs have definitely helped me overcome that.

I think people should look for the values in life and the small, good things that happen. Appreciate the things you have and don’t be so down on other people. Have more hope, make your own miracles, feel belief. It’s hard to come to this conclusion and actually try to do this, but I feel like it’s a better way to look at life in the long run.

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Top 100 Essays USB Drive

This USB drive contains 100 of the top This I Believe audio broadcasts of the last ten years, plus some favorites from Edward R. Murrow's radio series of the 1950s. It's perfect for personal or classroom use! Click here to learn more.

This week’s essay

Growing up in the former Yugoslavia, lawyer Djenita Pasic enjoyed the peace of her religiously diverse country. But after the fall of communism and the outbreak of the Bosnian War, Pasic was forced to reevaluate her ideas about religion and tolerance. Click here to read her essay.